Check-protector.



C. M. HEDIVIAN.

CHECK PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION mm AUGJ- 1m.

Patented June 25, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET C. M. HEDMAN.

CHECK PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-7. I916. v I

' Patentd June 25, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

COMPANY, or c'iiicneo, ILLiiroIs, A conroitaribn or ILLINOIS.

cheek-recession To all whomit may concern."

Be it known that I, CARL M; HEDMAN, a

citizen of the United States, residingiat Chi-s cago; in the eo-unty of (look and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Check-Protectors, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, arid exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

.,My invention relates to protectors for checks and other commercial paper,. and more particularly to the printing and shredding. mechanism whereby. the protector is capable of ede'cting a suitable; neat and nonera'dicable impression upon checks and the like. The vimprovements characteristic of my ese'nt invention are particularly a'pp'lica he to devices of. the class shown and described in United States Letters Patent to Ivan Engstroin,=No. 1,156,000, granted October .5; 1915,"..and co-pen'ding application o'f Dodglas F. Fesler, Serial No. 81,604,- filed March 2,1916. Generally speaking, devices of the class shown in the patent and copehding application aforesaid comprise a plurality of ordered marking elements or sectors; each of which is provided with a set of consecutively arranged numeral type arranged to cooperatewith a suitable platen, the severalsets of numeral type corresponding to the various orders and being independently adjustable, as distinguished from devices wherein all of the type are carried upon a single drum; whereby the impression made upon any instrument may correspond exactly in dollars and cents with the amount for which the instrument is drawn.

In the particular embodiment of my invention hereinafter described the stationary platen with which the ordered sets of type numerals are arranged to coopei'ate has formed on the upper face thereof a plurality of non parallel arcuated depressions or grooves with substantially moon or crescent shaped ridges intervening between the sev eral depressions or. grooves. The several grooves or depressions are desirably struck in the form of arcs of equal circles having different and regularly s 'ac'ed centers along the medial-transverse p ane of the platen, it being understood that the platen is disposed below the ordered type carriers or til edifitaition of Iiettis fait'eiit. ap ncanon filed au ust 7 1916. Serial No. 113,441.

r diates ante sectors and transversely oi the planes in" whichthe latter operate. h a Each of the type carried by the ordered as, this,

type carriers is provided with a pluralityof nonparallel arcuated ridges and intervening depressions or grooves arranged to coeperate with the grooves and ridges ofthe platen when thety 'pe is bro'ughtinto operative relation ,With the platen. and ridges of the type similartothe corresponding grooves and ridges of the platen are arcuated and non-parallel, the several grooves and depressions of each type lying in the arcspf equal circles having their centers at different points along a medial line extending transversely of the type. p

It will be understood that when the improvements of my invention are incorporated in machines of the class shown and described in the patent and co-p ending application hereinbefore referred to, the and and cts type as well as the Pay or Not over 914, type of the limiting type bar are provided with alternate and non-parallel arcuated grooves and ridges corresponding to. the grooves and ridges carried by the type of the adjustable type carriers or sectors In addition to the fact that by employing theherein'b'efore mentioned arrangement of non-parallel coeperating grooves and ridges I am enabled to produce a non-eradicable impression upon a check or the like pleasing The grooves to the eye and onewhicli does not materially Weaken the paper upon which the impres sion is made, I find that the particular arrangement of cooperating grooves andridges serves properly to center each of the numeral type as it is brought into operative relation with the laten, thus insuring perfeetalinement oi the several digits impressed upon a check.

to effect the impression of a immbermpbn checlr are carried byditl'erent ordered"type-" This is a very im-" port-ant consideration 111 machines of the class wherein the several type which serv carriers or sectors, as previously explained.

In addition to the features before inention'ed the platen and cooperating ty e-of' properly speaking, comprise but two gen eral classes of surfaces to wit, slitting or shredding surfaces and inking surfaces.

These and other characteristic features of my invention are fully set forth in the following detailed description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a View partially in side elevation and partially in vertical section illustrating a machine of the class with which I prefer to associate the improvements of my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view partially in front elevation and partially in vertical section of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the platen forming a part of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the platen illustrating the eccentric and non-parallel relation of the grooves and ridges therein- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view 0 the platen taken in a medial transverse plane thereof;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the platen taken on the lines t: -6 of Flg. 3;

Fig. .7 is an enlarged view of one of the numeral type arranged to cooperate with the platen, the figure 2 being chosen for the purpose of illustration;

Fig. 8 is a side elevatlonal V1eW;0f the type shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a greatly enlarged view in cross section taken on the llne 9-9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a greatly enlarged view of a type carrying the figure 5 clearly to illustrate the eccentric and non-parallel relation of the arcuated grooves and ridges carried by the type, and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating how the grooves and ridges of the type cooperate with the grooves and ridges of the platen when animpression 1s made upon a check or other instrument.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

For the most part it will be unnecessary to describe in detail the construction and operation of those parts of the check protector mechanism other than the type and platen, as said parts are fully shown and described in the patent to Ivan Engstrom and the copending application of Douglas F. Fesler hereinbefore mentioned. I shall, therefore, make but brief reference to the construction of those parts of the machine other than the platen and type which cooperate therewith. Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, it Wlll be noted that the mechanism comprises a suitable base 15 which carries a stationary platen denoted by the reference letter P,

the construction of which will be more fully hereinafter described. Pivoted to the rear end of the base 15 at 16 is a caslng 17, norr mally held in the position shown in Fig. 1

by a plurality of springs, one of which is illustrated at 18, the arrangement being such that the casing 1'? may be struck downwardly by depressing alever 19 when an impression is to be made upon a check. The lever 19 is pivoted to a post or bracket 20 extending upwardly from the base, and the said lever is also connected through a link 21 with the top of the casing 17.

Supported by the casing 17 are two shafts denoted by the reference numerals 22 and 23 and disposed one above the other, as is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. J ournaled upon the shaft 22 is a plurality of ordered type carriers or sectors, each of which is indi cated by the reference numeral 24 and is pro-- vided with a key lever 25 whereby any one of the type carried by the sector may be brought opposite the platen P. Each of the sectors 24 is conveniently in the form of a metal stamping and has cast thereon a bar 26 which carries the consecutively arranged numeral type indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 by the reference letter T. I may as well point out at this time that the bar 26 and type T formed integral therewith and the platen as well are desirably formed of the alloy now generally known commercially as alemite, that said parts are preferably formed in a die casting machine, and that the bar 26 and type T are desirably cast upon the sectors 24. It will thus be seen that each of the type carriers or sectors may be variably adjusted by its associated key lever 25. Each of the sectors 24 is desirably provided With a tooth portion 27 arranged to cooperate with a suitable retaining pawl 28, whereby the sector is held in. any position to which it may be moved.

Positioned adjacent the type carrier of lowest order is a stationary type carrier 29,

carried by the shaft 22 and connected also with the shaft 23. This stationary type member carries type arranged to cooperate with the platen to impress upon the check some indicia to the right of the digit impressed by the type of lowest denomination. and may carry, if desired, the letters cts indicating cents. A second stationary type carrying member is provided at. 30 and carries type arranged to cooperate with the platen to impress the word and upon the check and so form a definite division be tween the dollars characters and cents characters. The type carrying sectors lying be tween the stationary type carriers 29 and 30 as well as the sector lying immediately to the left of the stationary type carrier 30 t Fig. 2) are so arranged that when they are in their normal or home positions they will print 0. The other four sectors are normally out of the printing line, so that if none of the printing sectors are normally set the sectors of the three lowest orders, that is, the two cents sectors and the first dollars sector, are the only ones which will print.

At 31 is illustrated a limiting type bar slidably mounted upon a support 32 carried by the shafts 22 and 23. This type bar may carry type arranged to cooperate with the platen to impress upon the check such indicia as Pay it or, Not over I shall not here go into a detailed description of the means for operating and controlling the limiting type bar 31, as these parts are clearly shown and described in the patent and copending application previously mentioned. It will suffice to say that when the lever 19 is operated to strike down the easing 17 and thus impress upon a check an indication corresponding to any set-up, the limiting type bar is moved to lie adjacent the sector of the highest order which has been moved to effect the desired set-up.

At 33 is shown an inking pad which inks each of the type as it is moved to set position. It will sufiice to say that this inking pad is swung out of its position above the platen P when the casing 1.7 is struck downwardly to effect an impression upon a check or other instrument.

As thus far described the mechanism follows very closely the arrangement disclosed in the Fesler application just mentioned. 1 shall now proceed to describe the construction and cooperation of the type and platen with which my present invention is more particularly concerned.

The platen P is illustrated in detail in Figs. 3, 5 and 6. The platen is desirably a bar of alelnite as previously pointed out and is disposed transversely of the base 15 and located beneath the stationary type can riers :29 and 30 and sliding type bar 31. Formed in the upper face of the platen P, as is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, are a plurality of eccentric arcuated grooves illustrated at 7/ and it will be noted that adjacent eccentric grooves or depressions p p are separated by moon or crescent shaped ridges [1 The several grooves p p lie in arcs of equal circles having their ceni(.l".- located at ditl erent points along the medial transverse plane of the platen. Thus, a; is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. the arouaicd groove or depression p-----a lies in the arc 0; a circle having as its center the point a, the groove or depression p-b lies in the arc of an equal circle having its center at the point 7.1, whereas the groove or depression )--r; lies in the arc of a circle having line lies in the medial transverse plane of as its center the point 0. Thus it will be seen all of the depressions or grooves in the upper face of the platen are arcuated and eccentric, each to the others, although all of the arcuatcd grooves lie in the arcs of equal circles.

The several figures formed upon each of the type bars 26 of the sectors 24 have ridges and grooves illustrated respectively at t and t in Figs. 7 and 10. Attention is directed to the fact that each of the ridges has a tapered cross section and that each of the ridges :5 lies in the arc of a circle having its center lying in a medial line extending transversely. of the figure upon which the ridges are formed. Thus as illustratcd in Fig. 10 the ridge t -a lies in the arc of a circle having as its center the point a, the ridge t b lies in the arc of an equal circle having its center at the point 6, etc. It will thus be seen that each of the figures provided with alternate grooves and ridges as shown in Figs. 7 and 10 may be brought into position over the platen, so that the ridges t of the figure register with the arcuated grooves p of the platen. In a like nianner'the crescent or moon shaped ridges p of the platen register with the grooves t which intervene between the several arcuated rid es t of each of the figures.

Assuming that the check protector shown' in'Figs. l and 2 is provided with a platen ind type faces of the class just mentioned, and that an impression is to be made upon a check. The severalkey levers 25 are shifted to the positions necessary to bring the proper figures above the platen, and the check is inserted so that it rests over the platen P, the lever 19 is then depressed to bring the selected figures down toward the platen and also carrying the stationary. type bars 29 and 30 down toward the platen.

At the same time the limiting type bar 31 is shifted to a position adjacent the figure carrying sector of the highest operating order, the several grooves and ridges of the type faces the lever 19 is thus depressed, and the check or other instrument illustrated at C is thus mutilated and ink carried therein to form a non-eradicable impression thereon. The relative positions of the grooves and ridges of the platen and type when an impression is being made are illustrated in Fig. 11.

I wish to have it understood that the ridges f of the figures are struck in the arcs of circles equal to the circles in the arcs of which the arcuated groove of the platen are struck. grooves and ridges of each one of the figure or other type can only mesh with the grooves and ridges of the platen when the type lies in a position such that its medial transverse the platen. In other words, theline of centers of the circles in which the ridges of the type faces are struck must lie in the medial transverse plane of the platen. or stated differently. directly above the line of centersof the circles in which the arena ted grooves of the platen are struck. I find that the several type as brought into mesh and platen intermeshing when Therefore, the alternate with the platen tend to find their proper centers, and that therefore proper alinement of the impressions made-by the several type is assured. This is an extremely important consideration when my invention is incorporated in amachine'of the class herein described, wherein the numeral type for the when an impression is made. The points of the ty eridges t and the upper edges of the pl ziten ridgesp serve as slitting or shredding surfaces. The upper surfaces of the platen ridges p? cooperating with the bottoms of the type grooves t serve as printing-"surfaces; Thus, when an. impression is made upon a check, three different sets of surfaces of type and platen come into play to perform three diiferent functions to wit, shredding, inking and printing.

I believe that this arrangement of type and platen surfaces is difierent from any of the arrangements of the 'prior'art, wherein the paper is shredded, as all of the devices of the prior art with which I am familiar, properly speaking, comprise but two sets of surfaces to wit, shredding and inking sur-' faces, and there are no surfaces which effect actual printing. I

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: I

1. In a device of the class described the combination of a plurality of adjustable ordered marking elements, each having a plurality of type thereon, a platen, meansfor moving the marking elements toward the platen, a plurality of arcuate grooves in the platen, theseveral grooves in the platen lying in arcs of equal circles having their centers 'at different points in a line in the medial transverse plane of the platen, and a pluralit of arcuate ridges on each of the type carried by themarking elements, the ridges of each type lying in the arcs of equal circles having their centers at different points along a medial line extending transversely of the type, the curvature of the type ridges being the same as the curvature of the platen grooves.

ing a plurality of ordered marking elements, each provided with a plurality of type, a platen extending transversely of the planes in which said marking elements operate,

2. A device of the class described compristhe platen, the several grooves lying in the arcs of equal circles having their centers regularly spaced along the medial transverse plane of the platen, and a plurality of ridges on each type arranged' to mesh with the grooves of the platen when the type is brought into engagement with the platen.

3. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of ordered marking elements, each carryin a series of type, a platen, means for e 'ecting relative movement to cause engagement of the type and platen, a plurality of non-parallel arcuate grooves in the platen, and a plurality of ridges on each type arranged to mesh with the grooves of the platen when the type is caused to engage the platen.

4. A device of the class described comprising a type carrier having a plurality of printing characters mounted thereon, a platen, means for causing the type carrier and platen to move one toward the other, a plurality'of non-parallel arcuate grooves in the platen, said grooves lying in the arcs of equal circles having their centers at equally spaced points along the platen, and a plurality of ridges on each printing character arranged to mesh with the grooves of the platen when the character is caused to engage the platen.

5. A device of the class described comprising a platen, a plurality of printing characters designed to be brought into engagement with the platen to impress a noneradicable impression upon a sheet disposed between the platen and printing characters, a plurality of arcuate grooves in the laten, the several grooves lying in the arcs 0 equal circles having their centers at different points in the same line along the platen, and a plurality of ridges on each printing character, the several ridges of each character lying in the arcs of equal circles having their centers at different points in a line extending across the printing character, the curvature of the ridges of the printing characters being the same as the curvatures of the platen grooves.

6. A device of the class described comprising a marking element, a plurality of printin characters carried thereby, a platen, a plurality of non-parallel arcuate grooves in the platen, and a plurality of non-parallel ridges on each printing character arranged to mesh with the grooves of the laten when the printing character is moved into engagement with the platen.

7. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of printing characters disposed side by side, a platen with which the printing characters are arranged to engage, a plurality of arcuate grooves in the platen, said grooves lying in the arcs of equal circles having their centers in the same line across the platen, and a plurality of means for alining the selected type comprisarcuate ridges-on each printing character having the same curvature as the platen grooves whereby the said ridges register with the platen grooves and the printing characters are alined when the latter are caused to engage the platen.

8. A device of the class described comprising in combination with a type carrier having a plurality of, printing characters thereon, a platen, a plurality of non-parallel arcuate ridges in each printing character, and a plurality of non-parallel arcuate grooves in the platen having substantially the same curvature as the printing charac ter ridges whereby the ridges of each printing character are adapted to register with the grooves of the platen when the printing character is caused to engage the platen.

9. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of printing characters, each having a plurality of non-parallel ridges thereon, a platen with which said characters are arranged to engage, and a plurality of non-parallel grooves in the platen arranged to mesh with the non-parallel ridges of the printing characters when the latter are moved into engagement with the platen.

10. A machine of the class described comprising a platen havin a pluralityof arcuate grooves therein, and a printing character arranged to engage with the platen, said printing character having arcuate ridges thereon arranged to engage with the arcuate grooves of the platen. y

11. In a structure of the/ class described, the combination with a stationary platen, of a plurality of separate type sectors, a shaft rotatably supporting said type sectors side by side in position to co-act with said platen, means for adjusting said type sectors upon said shaft to bring the desired type into position to co-act with said platen, add means for alining the selected type comprising eoact-ing complementary. non-parallel arcuate grooves and ridges formed .in the faces of said platen and in said type, the sides of said ridges being beveled.

12. In a structure of the class described,

the combination with a stationary platen, of

a plurality of separate type sectors, means for rotat-ably supporting said type sectors side by side in position to co-act with said platen, means for adjusting said type sectors upon said shaft to bring the desired type into position to co-act with said platen, and

supporting said type sectors side in ing co-acting complementary non-parallel arcuate grooves and ridges formed in the faces of said platen and in said type.

13. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a stationary platen, of a plurality of separate type sectors, means for rotatably supporting said type sectors side by side in position to co-act with said platen, means for adjusting said type seetors upon said shaft to bring the desired type into position to co-act with said platen; and means foralining the selected type comprisihg co-acting complementary arcuate grooves and ridges formed in the faces of said platen and in said type.

14. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a stationary platen, of a plurality of separate type sectors, means for rotatably supporting said type sectors side by side in position to coact with said platen, means for adjusting said type seetors upon said shaft to bring the desired type into position to co-act with said platen, and means for alining the selected type comprising co-acting complementary grooves and ridges formed in the faces of said platen and in said type, l

15. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a platen, of a plurality of separate type sectors, means for rotatably supporting said type sectors side by side in position to co-act with saidplaten, means for adjusting said type sectors upon saidi'shaft to bring the desiredtype irito position to coactwith Said platen and co a'cting means on the coacting faces of saidplaten and type sectors for alining the selected type.

16. vInastructure of the jcla'ss described,

the combinatiohwith a platen, of a plurality of separate type sectors, means for r atably 1, position to co-ac't with said p1 cu, m ans for adjusting said type secto shaft to bring the desired type into position up said to co-act with said platen and con e t/ing means on said platen and the peripheries of said type sectorsfor automatically alining the selected typeas said type are brought into co-acting relation with said platen.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 4th day of August,

A. D. 1916. y 1

CARL M. HEDMAN. Witnesses:

ROBERT F. BRAGHE, ALFRED S. CALLowAY. 

